Once again
by Bittersweet Illusion
Summary: Seventy years after the incident with Sally Shine, something goes wrong with the elevator again. But the five riders survive... How lucky can they get? Not as lucky as they thought, they realize. But how do they end it? My first fanfic.


Disclaimer: I do not own Tower of Terror, obviously. It was made by some people who got the idea from the Disney ride.  
Bittersweet Illusion: This is my first fanfic, so don't be TOO harsh... I've been doing school in french since grade four, so I'm sorry if my grammer isn't that great. Anyways! On with the story!

**_Chapter one:_**

"Mommy… mommy…" The four-year-old tugged on her mother's sleeve, shifting from one foot to the other.  
"Not now, Aeryn," Eva Parker said, turning briefly to wave her daughter off her arm as she took her room key.  
"Thank you, Ms. Parker. Jamie will take up your bags. Jamie," The bellhop that approached them looked to be in her late-thirties or forties, with a long, thin face, thin, limp blonde hair, and a permanent frown on her pale face.  
"Follow me," Eva didn't remember Jamie even touching her bags, but there they were: one in each hand.  
"Come on, Aeryn," She said, turning to her daughter. Aeryn bent over and idly picked up the marbles she had been playing with one by one from the floor. Then, clasping her hands around her toys, she ambled over to her mother, who took her by the arm, and fell in step with Jamie, staying but a few steps behind as the weaved through the bustling crowd.  
"Here we are," Jamie said in her eerie, nearly monotone voice.  
Eva and Aeryn stepped into the elevator where two teenagers were already waiting. Jamie simply put the bags down inside the elevator and stepped back out.  
"There's one more guest coming. Take the time to get acquainted." Jamie glowered at them for a moment, then turned around and strode away. After turning the corner Jamie paused. She opened her clenched hand and looked at it for a moment. There, lying in her palm was Eva's ring and one of Aeryn's marbles.  
_Just one more item…_

Everyone stood silently, a slightly awkward feeling tingling lightly in the air. The only one who didn't seem to notice was Aeryn, who had made herself comfortable on the floor and was rolling her marbles back and forth, humming to herself.  
"So…" Jake, a tall, lanky seventeen year old visiting family, searched for something to break the silence. "My name is Jake." _There's something interesting! Not…  
_"I'm, uh, Maya," The petite fifteen year old tilted her head slightly, shaking her dark auburn hair. "And what's your name?" She knelt down so she could look Aeryn in the eyes, her voice softening. Aeryn looked at her through her long dark bangs for a moment before answering.  
"Ae-Aewin,"  
"So, I gonna get any space in this elevator, or do I wait for the next one?" A low, smooth female voice said. Maya looked to where Jamie and another girl were now standing. The teenager had hair dyed fire-engine red, dark brown roots coming in. Most of it was tied back in a pony-tail high on her head, and a thick strand on either side tucked behind her ears. She raised a thin, arched eye-brow questioningly, slightly pinching her thick, purple-painted lips. Maya stood up, raising her eye-brows and looked away.  
"Thank you." She stepped into the elevator briskly. Jamie put down the bag in her hand, and stepped out again. She looked from face to face slowly. Jake, Maya and Taylor looked back at her, Eva was trying to put away Aeryn's marbles and Aeryn was trying to keep them away from her mother.  
"Are there any questions?" The monotone voice hung heavily in the air.  
"Is it magic?" Jake said, making his voice sound young and innocent. Jaime nodded slowly.  
"No." She looked up for a moment. "Here you go." And she disappeared behind the elevator doors. There was a confused feeling shared by everyone in the elevator. The elevators were old fashioned-run by the bellhops. The feeling deepened when the elevator lurched upwards and began to ascend. They all looked at each other, hoping someone else would have an answer. No one did.  
Looking up at the needle indicating the floor, Jake's eyebrows knit together. "Hey, I'm supposed to get off here." He moved forward and tried to stop the elevator. His remark was repeated by the others as the elevator kept rising. Once the needle hit twelve, there was a lurch. There was a frozen, silent moment that lasted a lifetime. Suddenly there was a crash of thunder and they were falling.  
"Oh my god!" Maya screamed, her hands dancing around desperately for something firm to hold onto. Taylor's eyes were wide open, darting everywhere. Jake didn't know how to react except to just hope it was fast and painless.  
"Mommyyyyyyyy!" Aeryn screamed, clinging to her mother's leg. Eva wrapped her arms around her daughter, wishing she could save Aeryn from this. And in that instant, it was over.

Everything hurt, but nothing seemed to be broken. Just permanently bruised. Eva pried her eyes open, looking around the elevator through narrow slits. Everyone else seemed to be regaining consciousness as well.  
"W-what happened?" Maya's voice was weak.  
"I think the cable snapped…" Taylor muttered, struggling up onto her feet. It was then that they heard the muffled crying in the background. Aeryn was curled up on the floor, shaking and crying into her knees, her mother trying to calm her, with a frantic look in her eyes.  
"Oh… sweetie… it's okay… we're all going to be okay." Eva picked her daughter up and held her close. Slowly the elevator began its second ascent.  
"No… not again… I can't go through that again…" Maya's voice shook as much as her body did. The ascent was short-from the basement to the lobby. The doors opened, and Jamie was still standing there, looking as if she hadn't moved at all since they saw her. She cast a mournful glance at five people who would still be shaking in the morning.  
"So sad to see you back," She stepped into the elevator, closed the doors, and took them up to their floors.

It had been over seventy years since the Hollywood Tower Hotel had seen such an accident. This time no one lost their life.


End file.
